Animal-releasing device.



"0. 656,672. 'Patented Aug. 26, I900. F. A. SPRE'NGER.

ANIMAL RELEASING DEVICE.

(Applicaitibn filed Se t. 60, 1899.)

(No Model.)

ivrrnn mm PATENT FMCEt ANIMADRELEASING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,672, dated August 28, 1900.

. Application red september 30. 1299. $er1a1 No. 732.175. (No model.)

To all whom it mag concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANKA. SPRENGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal-Releasing Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to animal-releasing devices, and has for one object the production of an improved electrical appliance of this character in which provision is made for offecting the release of the halter-ring carried by the animal either automatically through the operation of a thermostatic device connected in the circuit wherein the appliance is arranged or manually by manipulating a switch.

A further object of the invention is the production of an electrically-operated releasing divice the construction of which is comparatively simple and durable and which is instantaneous in action and at all times thoroughly reliable.

The nature of the invention will be readily comprehended by reference to the following detailed description and to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof, and in which- Figure lis a perspective view of an animalreleasing device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A denotes the lock-casing, having in its top an opening or slot to and a socket a, which latter receives the halter-ring Z7, carried by the animal.

O is a hasp which is pivoted at one end to the top of the casing and is provided toward its other end with a depending catch 0. In the lowered position of the hasp the halter is confined in the socket, and the catch on the hasp enters the slot a and is engaged by a trigger d, the catch to this end being provided with a shoulder c. The trigger is retracted to release the catch and hasp by the other upright. -made of thin strips of leather or other suit-- action of a coiled spring d,'a stop d? in the path of the trigger limiting its retracting movement. The trigger d has at its lower side a shoulder d against which is normally pressed an armature E in the form of an arm pivoted at its lower end to be brought into contact with electric magnets F. These magnets are normally energized through connection with a suitable source of electricity and hold the armature to their poles, whereby the trigger is held in engagement with the catch and the hasp is retained in looking position. The magnets are preferably secured to one of the sides of the casing by screws ff, which are passed through from the outside.

9 is an armature adjustmentspring secured at one end to the armature adjacent to its pivot and engaging at the other end an adjusting-screw g, wherebythe tension of the spring may be varied. V

Suspended from the lower end of the casing is hanger-rod h, around which is looped one end of the hitching-strap I, the other end of the strap being provided with a snap-hook i, which engages a fixed ring 1" on the wall or The strap I is preferably able material cemented or sewed together, and between them are placed the electric conductin g-wires j of the circuit. These wires, which are insulated and sufficiently flexible, pass at one end through insulatedopenings in the base-plate of the casing and connect with the terminal wires lo of the magnets. The other end of the wires j connect with a battery or other source of electricity.

L is a push-button switch located in the side or end of the casing, the button, which carries one contact Z, being pressed outwardly by the action of a coiled spring Z. From this contact Z extends a wire m, which connects with the circuit at the junction of the terminal wire is and its corresponding wire j.

Z denotes the fixed contact of the switch, to which is connected the terminal wire 7; and the other wire j, whereby upon the engagement of the contacts through the movement by hand of the button the current is shunted outside of the magnets, the result being the retraction of the armature and trigger and the releaseof the hasp.

The push-button and its connections aii'ord ICO means by which the animal may be released by hand. To efiect the release automatically of the animal, I provide a suitable thermomostat which will operate under the action,

of heat to break the circuit may be employed. In the drawings Ihave shown for the purpose of illustration a device t, which consists of a fusible wire t, electrically connected at its ends to terminal plates 6 t the plates being mounted on a base-plate 25 secured to the wall or'other upright or ceiling. wires j lead to the plates 6*. In operation the circuit is normally closed through the wire 1.; but whenthe heat reaches a predetermined degree--saytwo hundred th'e wire fuses or melts and the circuit is broken. Normally themagnetsarein circuit and the current must be shunted'or broken to eifect the release oftheanimal or'animals. This breaking or shunting, as the case may be, of the circuit may, as above stated, be accomplished automatically or manually. By either method the action is instantaneous and thoroughly reliable.

To obviate the necessity of employing wrapped joints or connections for the wires j, I employ circuit-connecting blocks 2' 2, each of whichis provided'with a pin which enters a socket in the other block, as shown.

The devices, where anumb'erare employed, may be connected either in multiple or series.

I claim as my invention-- 1. An animal-releasing device comprising a casing having a socket to receive the halter-ring, a pivoted hasp confining the ring in The circuitefiect the release of the armature and permit movement of the trigger to release-thehasp.

2. An animal-releasing device comprising a casing having a socket to receive the halter-ring, a movable hasp confining the ring in the socket and provided with a catch, a springcontrolled trigger, an armature adapted when attracted" by an energized magnet to move the trigger into engagement with the catch to lock the hasp, and means for depriving the magnet of current.

3. An animal-releasing device comprising a casing having a socket to receive the halter-ring, a pivoted hasp confining the ring in the socket, magnets connected with an electric circuit, an armature, means actuated bythe armature when attracted to engage and icallydeprived ofcurrentto effect the release of the hasp.

4. An animal-releasing device comprising a casing carrying apivoted' hasp normally confining the halter-ring, a spring-controlled trigger adaptedto engage a catchon the hasp,

magnets connectedwith an electric circuit,

an armaturein operative relation to the'trig= ger', a spring connected with the armature,-

an adjusting-screw for the spring,'a'nd means for depriving the'magnets of current;

5. An animal-releasing device comprising a casing carrying locking means for confining.

ahalter-ring, magnets connected with an electric circuit, an armature operative] y connectedwith the locking means,'a push-button switch carried by the casing'and electrically connected with the circuit to shunt the magnets, a strap fixed to the casing'and carrying the wires of the circuit and a thermostat in the circuit.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK A. SPRE'NGER: Witnesses:

J. S. JAooBY, WILLIAM L. WEBER. 

